The Executive Governor of Gombe State, His Excellency, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (OON), the Talban Gombe, has assured of the State Government’s continued support in the implementation of programmes of the apex Cultural Institute in Nigeria, the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO).
Alhaji Dankwambo gave this assurance on Thursday, February 9, 2012, at the Gombe State University Banquet Hall, Gombe, during the opening ceremony of a Two-Day National Media Workshop, organized by NICO, in collaboration with the State Government.
Represented by the Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Hon. Samuel Adamu Bulus, the Executive Governor commended the foresight of the Executive Secretary, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, the Management and Staff of the Institute for sustaining the workshop series, since its inception in 2010.
The Governor, who described the failure to promote cultural values as one of the factors responsible for most of the ills that have adversely affected the growth and development of the Nigerian society today, however said his administration recognizes and places high premium on the positive role that culture can play in the development of the state, stressing that it was in recognition of this vital role that the state government recently created a separate Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the state.
Further commending NICO for organizing series of Workshops, aimed at sensitizing the media and general public on the need to strengthen and promote cultural values and historical ties that bind Nigerians together as a people with a shared heritage and common destiny, Governor Dankwambo enjoined participants and other stakeholders to work with NICO in sensitizing Nigerians on the need to promote our cultural values and diversity into marketable assets that will impact positively on poverty, job creation, our dignity and identity.
He maintained that because of his administration’s resolve to ensure that Gombe becomes one of the fastest growing states in the country, the state is re-engineering the Civil Service to become one of the fastest in terms of professionalism and service delivery.
Stressing that as a state which is blessed with rich and diverse culture and tourist sites, the Governor who acknowledged that his government identifies the culture and tourism sector as one of the administration’s area of comparative advantage, expressed his appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation and especially, the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), for the opportunity given to the state to host the National Media Workshop.
Caleb Nor
Corporate Affair